A Brief History of Dentures

Dentures are sets of replacement teeth that can be inserted and removed when needed. Of course, keeping your natural teeth is always ideal, but sometimes it’s just not possible. Thankfully, dental advancements have come a long way in the last hundred years, and dentures made today are extremely durable and resemble real teeth so much so that’s it hard to tell the difference when someone is wearing them. Let’s take a look at a brief history of dentures.

Dentures of Days Past

Although evidence of dentures made from animal teeth dating back thousands of years have been found, the modern dentures that we know today got their start in the 1700’s. Dentures have been present in almost every ancient culture and were made from regionally found materials like shells, animal or human teeth and wood. George Washington famously had dental problems his entire adult life and owned a pair of dentures made from elephant ivory and gold springs.

Modern Dentures

Today dentures are made from an acrylic material that comes in a wide variety of shades and colors. Dentures are custom made for each patient with a process that starts by making a mold of the patient’s gum line. The false teeth of the dentures are made and placed by a denturist. Each pair is made to look and feel as natural as possible and do almost all the things natural teeth can do, although using dentures to chew and eat takes some getting used to. They also help fill facial features that can change when teeth are lost or removed.

If you are considering dentures, talk to your dentist about your best options. Both Dr. Zola Makrauer and Dr. Julie Miller at Huntington Valley Dental Arts have vast experience in the dental field and will be able to guide your decision process with their knowledge. Call for an appointment today.